'Let's See If We Can Work It out Together.'

'Let's See If We Can Work It out Together.'

Article excerpt

The people we love push our hot buttons and we push theirs. Our coworkers drive us crazy, and tensions at work seem to be escalating. Perfect strangers in a restaurant or driving down the highway can put us into a frenzy.

Clearly, we could all use help resolving differences and dealing with conflict in our lives. "We should look at conflict not as an obstacle but as an opportunity," says author and "conflict coach" Sybil Evans. In her wonderful new book Hot Buttons, she and coauthor Sherry Suib Cohen provide techniques for listening and responding that will help you turn difficult situations into opportunities for open communication, cooperation and harmony.

Written in an easy-to-read, lively style, the book provides practical solutions for cooling down our hot buttons--with children, family members, friends, lovers and colleagues at the workplace. There are questionnaires to help you determine what pushes your buttons and how you respond when you are angry or upset. …